Vassal Lane Upper School

Summary:

Vassal Lane Upper School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Cambridge, MA, with a diverse student population of 273 students. The school consistently ranks in the top 30% of Massachusetts middle schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Vassal Lane Upper School's academic performance is particularly strong, with proficiency rates in MCAS Next Generation exams above the state averages in both English Language Arts (49.55% vs 39.17%) and Mathematics (43.75% vs 40.91%). The school excels in supporting students with disabilities, ranking in the top 14% of Massachusetts middle schools in this category. However, the school struggles with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 50% of Massachusetts middle schools for this subgroup.

While the school's overall performance is impressive, there are significant gaps in academic achievement between different racial subgroups. White students at Vassal Lane Upper School rank in the top 18% of Massachusetts middle schools in ELA and top 17% in Math, but the performance for Asian and African American students is relatively weaker, ranking in the bottom 25% and bottom 50% of Massachusetts middle schools, respectively. The school's high per-student spending of $32,963 and low student-teacher ratio of 6.3 suggest a strong investment in educational resources, which may contribute to the school's overall academic success.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 158 Spring Street
       Cambridge, MA  02141


(617) 349-6550

District: Cambridge

SchoolDigger Rank:
143rd of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $32,963 Help


Students who attend Vassal Lane Upper School usually attend:

High:    Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Feeder schools for Vassal Lane Upper School:

Elementary:    Amigos School
    Cambridgeport
    Fletcher/Maynard Academy
    Haggerty
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  5.9 Help
Number of students:  258

Racial breakdown:

White:
36.8%
African American:
24.0%
Asian:
17.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Vassal Lane Upper School ranks better than 71% of middle schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Cambridge School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.01. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Vassal Lane Upper School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Cambridge School District. Student population at Vassal Lane Upper School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (36.8%), African American (24%), Asian (17.8%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Vassal Lane Upper School is 5.9, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Cambridge School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Vassal Lane Upper School employs 43.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Vassal Lane Upper School is $32,963. 2 middle schools in the Cambridge School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vassal Lane Upper School:

SchoolDigger ranks Vassal Lane Upper School 143rd of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Vassal Lane Upper School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
White students:


Cambridge:

SchoolDigger ranks Cambridge 101st of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Vassal Lane Upper School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 50.46 217th 441 50.8%
2016 68.80 143rd 482 70.3%
2017 75.89 112th 487 77.0%
2018 77.70 104th 484 78.5%
2019 69.88 145th 498 70.9%
2021 69.89 137th 501 72.7%
2022 56.69 186th 497 62.6%
2023 74.85 118th 501 76.4%
2024 67.01 143rd 493 71.0%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 77.03 27th 110 75.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.87 70th 467 85.0%
2019 65.29 113th 484 76.7%
2021 65.51 110th 489 77.5%
2022 46.33 242nd 503 51.9%
2023 86.76 35th 444 92.1%
2024 76.89 60th 441 86.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.97 120th 438 72.6%
2019 62.93 136th 452 69.9%
2021 60.70 139th 462 69.9%
2022 42.56 271st 489 44.6%
2023 47.31 235th 481 51.1%
2024 47.10 223rd 469 52.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.03 147th 463 68.3%
2019 72.32 127th 478 73.4%
2021 72.03 117th 483 75.8%
2022 58.41 182nd 494 63.2%
2023 77.28 100th 489 79.6%
2024 71.48 124th 481 74.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.03 107th 417 74.3%
2019 71.50 81st 424 80.9%
2021 81.68 45th 431 89.6%
2022 75.48 61st 445 86.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.49 56th 466 88.0%
2019 63.25 168th 478 64.9%
2021 62.79 166th 485 65.8%
2022 53.69 204th 497 59.0%
2023 68.44 134th 489 72.6%
2024 59.30 172nd 483 64.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 75.71 108th 491 78.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 55.04 124th 339 63.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.45 84th 119 29.4%
2019 38.99 79th 128 38.3%
2021 47.53 73rd 123 40.7%
2022 32.36 94th 135 30.4%
2023 45.35 81st 134 39.6%
2024 22.66 91st 120 24.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.20 46th 172 73.3%
2019 58.34 72nd 195 63.1%
2021 51.42 86th 193 55.4%
2022 44.76 107th 212 49.5%
2023 47.05 100th 209 52.2%
2024 46.08 105th 202 48.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Vassal Lane Upper School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.31 30th 395 92.4%
2019 85.75 40th 396 89.9%
2021 77.42 68th 401 83.0%
2022 70.51 93rd 404 77.0%
2023 87.31 44th 403 89.1%
2024 80.22 68th 392 82.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Vassal Lane Upper School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Vassal Lane Upper School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2013 97 107 45 28 1 1 14 0 293
2014 106 110 46 22 2 1 15 0 302
2015 108 84 43 25 4 1 21 0 286
2016 113 75 35 23 3 0 21 0 270
2017 118 70 38 18 2 1 21 0 268
2018 120 72 44 24 0 1 20 0 281
2019 123 76 51 25 0 1 23 0 299
2020 119 73 46 21 0 0 22 1 282
2021 117 78 50 23 0 0 22 1 291
2022 115 74 46 32 0 0 22 1 290
2023 101 65 48 30 0 0 28 1 273
2024 95 62 46 33 1 0 21 0 258

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Vassal Lane Upper School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 293 29.2 10.0 44
2014 302 32.6 9.2 46
2015 286 35.0 8.1 42.7
2016 270 36.0 7.5 n/a
2017 268 32.7 8.1 n/a
2018 281 33.6 8.3 n/a
2019 299 36.4 8.2 n/a
2020 282 40.3 6.9 n/a
2021 291 38.4 7.5 n/a
2022 290 34.2 8.4 n/a
2023 273 42.7 6.3 n/a
2024 258 43.1 5.9 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Vassal Lane Upper School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 293 29.2 10.0 44
2014 302 32.6 9.2 46
2015 286 35.0 8.1 42.7
2016 270 36.0 7.5 n/a
2017 268 32.7 8.1 n/a
2018 281 33.6 8.3 n/a
2019 299 36.4 8.2 n/a
2020 282 40.3 6.9 n/a
2021 291 38.4 7.5 n/a
2022 290 34.2 8.4 n/a
2023 273 42.7 6.3 n/a
2024 258 43.1 5.9 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Vassal Lane Upper School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $151 (0.5%) $28,302 (99.5%) $28,453
2020 $281 (0.9%) $30,440 (99.1%) $30,721
2021 $484 (1.5%) $32,478 (98.5%) $32,963

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Vassal Lane Upper School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 145th of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 118th of 501 Middle schools
 5.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Vassal Lane Upper School)5451.7
 2.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Cambridge)5554.6
 0.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Vassal Lane Upper School)5349.4
 3.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Cambridge)4546.6
 1.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Vassal Lane Upper School)5258.7
 6.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Cambridge)4956.8
 7.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Vassal Lane Upper School)5933.9
 25.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Cambridge)5044.7
 5.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Vassal Lane Upper School)6960.2
 8.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Cambridge)6155.3
 5.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Vassal Lane Upper School)7956.5
 22.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Cambridge)5546.5
 8.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (Vassal Lane Upper School)5352.8
 0.3%
   8th Grade Science (Cambridge)4543
 2%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Vassal Lane Upper School)5956.7
 2.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Cambridge)6058.6
 1.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Vassal Lane Upper School)6448.2
 15.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (Cambridge)5353.4
 0.3%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Vassal Lane Upper School)5352.8
 0.3%
   All Grades Science (Cambridge)4950.8
 1.8%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students299273
 8.7%
African American7665
 14.5%
American Indian00
Asian5148
 5.9%
Hispanic2530
 20%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White123101
 17.9%
Two or More Races2328
 21.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Vassal Lane Upper School

Vassal Lane Upper School ranks 143rd of 493 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Vassal Lane Upper School are 37% White, 24% African American, 18% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 258 students attended Vassal Lane Upper School.

Students who attend Vassal Lane Upper School usually go on to attend Cambridge Rindge and Latin


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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